scholarly journals Evolution of eumetazoan nervous systems: insights from cnidarians

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1684) ◽  
pp. 20150065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iva Kelava ◽  
Fabian Rentzsch ◽  
Ulrich Technau
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Genetic Network ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Nervous Systems ◽  
Genetic Interference ◽  
Developmental Programme

Cnidarians, the sister group to bilaterians, have a simple diffuse nervous system. This morphological simplicity and their phylogenetic position make them a crucial group in the study of the evolution of the nervous system. The development of their nervous systems is of particular interest, as by uncovering the genetic programme that underlies it, and comparing it with the bilaterian developmental programme, it is possible to make assumptions about the genes and processes involved in the development of ancestral nervous systems. Recent advances in sequencing methods, genetic interference techniques and transgenic technology have enabled us to get a first glimpse into the molecular network underlying the development of a cnidarian nervous system—in particular the nervous system of the anthozoan Nematostella vectensis . It appears that much of the genetic network of the nervous system development is partly conserved between cnidarians and bilaterians, with Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling, and Sox genes playing a crucial part in the differentiation of neurons. However, cnidarians possess some specific characteristics, and further studies are necessary to elucidate the full regulatory network. The work on cnidarian neurogenesis further accentuates the need to study non-model organisms in order to gain insights into processes that shaped present-day lineages during the course of evolution.

scholarly journals Drosophila Stathmin: A Microtubule-destabilizing Factor Involved in Nervous System Formation

2002 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 698-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Ozon ◽  
Antoine Guichet ◽  
Olivier Gavet ◽  
Siegfried Roth ◽  
André Sobel
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Microtubule Assembly ◽  
Nervous Systems ◽  
Germ Cell Migration ◽  
Numerous Cell ◽  
First Time

Stathmin is a ubiquitous regulatory phosphoprotein, the generic element of a family of neural phosphoproteins in vertebrates that possess the capacity to bind tubulin and interfere with microtubule dynamics. Although stathmin and the other proteins of the family have been associated with numerous cell regulations, their biological roles remain elusive, as in particular inactivation of the stathmin gene in the mouse resulted in no clear deleterious phenotype. We identified stathmin phosphoproteins inDrosophila, encoded by a unique gene sharing the intron/exon structure of the vertebrate stathmin andstathmin family genes. They interfere with microtubule assembly in vitro, and in vivo when expressed in HeLa cells. Drosophila stathmin expression is regulated during embryogenesis: it is high in the migrating germ cells and in the central and peripheral nervous systems, a pattern resembling that of mammalian stathmin. Furthermore, RNA interference inactivation ofDrosophila stathmin expression resulted in germ cell migration arrest at stage 14. It also induced important anomalies in nervous system development, such as loss of commissures and longitudinal connectives in the ventral cord, or abnormal chordotonal neuron organization. In conclusion, a single Drosophilagene encodes phosphoproteins homologous to the entire vertebrate stathmin family. We demonstrate for the first time their direct involvement in major biological processes such as development of the reproductive and nervous systems.

scholarly journals Enteric nervous system development: migration, differentiation, and disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 305 (1) ◽  
pp. G1-G24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan I. Lake ◽  
Robert O. Heuckeroth
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Neural Crest ◽  
Enteric Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Hirschsprung Disease ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Receptor Type ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Endothelin Receptor ◽  
Type B

The enteric nervous system (ENS) provides the intrinsic innervation of the bowel and is the most neurochemically diverse branch of the peripheral nervous system, consisting of two layers of ganglia and fibers encircling the gastrointestinal tract. The ENS is vital for life and is capable of autonomous regulation of motility and secretion. Developmental studies in model organisms and genetic studies of the most common congenital disease of the ENS, Hirschsprung disease, have provided a detailed understanding of ENS development. The ENS originates in the neural crest, mostly from the vagal levels of the neuraxis, which invades, proliferates, and migrates within the intestinal wall until the entire bowel is colonized with enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCDCs). After initial migration, the ENS develops further by responding to guidance factors and morphogens that pattern the bowel concentrically, differentiating into glia and neuronal subtypes and wiring together to form a functional nervous system. Molecules controlling this process, including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor RET, endothelin (ET)-3 and its receptor endothelin receptor type B, and transcription factors such as SOX10 and PHOX2B, are required for ENS development in humans. Important areas of active investigation include mechanisms that guide ENCDC migration, the role and signals downstream of endothelin receptor type B, and control of differentiation, neurochemical coding, and axonal targeting. Recent work also focuses on disease treatment by exploring the natural role of ENS stem cells and investigating potential therapeutic uses. Disease prevention may also be possible by modifying the fetal microenvironment to reduce the penetrance of Hirschsprung disease-causing mutations.

scholarly journals Cell segregation and boundary formation during nervous system development

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Constanza González-Ramírez ◽  
Pablo Guzmán-Palma ◽  
Carlos Oliva
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Boundary Formation ◽  
Cortical Tension ◽  
Invertebrate Model ◽  
Cell Segregation ◽  
Multicellular Organisms ◽  
Actomyosin Cytoskeleton

The development of multicellular organisms involves three main events: differentiation, growth, and morphogenesis. These processes need to be coordinated for a correct developmental program to work. Mechanisms of cell segregation and the formation of boundaries during development play essential roles in this coordination, allowing the generation and maintenance of distinct regions in an organism. These mechanisms are also at work in the nervous system. The process of regionalization involves first the patterning of the developing organism through gradients and the expression of transcription factors in specific regions. Once different tissues have been induced, segregation mechanisms may operate to avoid cell mixing between different compartments. Three mechanisms have been proposed to achieve segregation: (1) differential affinity, which mainly involves the expression of distinct pools of adhesion molecules such as members of the cadherin superfamily; (2) contact inhibition, which is largely mediated by Eph-ephrin signaling; and (3) cortical tension, which involves the actomyosin cytoskeleton. In many instances, these mechanisms collaborate in cell segregation. In the last three decades, there have been several advances in our understanding of how cell segregation and boundaries participate in the development of the nervous system. Interestingly as in other aspects of development, the molecular players are remarkably similar between vertebrates and invertebrates. Here we summarize the main concepts of cell segregation and boundary formation, focusing on the nervous system and highlighting the similarities between vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms.

Antenatal Glucocorticoids Supplementation and Central Nervous System Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-166
Author(s):  
Diego Gazzolo ◽  
Laura D. Serpero ◽  
Alessandro Frigiola ◽  
Raul Abella ◽  
Alessandro Giamberti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Central Nervous System Development

scholarly journals Incorporation of 5-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine into DNA and Proliferative Behavior of Cerebellar Neuroblasts: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1453
Author(s):  
Joaquín Martí-Clúa
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Dividing Cells ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Repeated Doses ◽  
Pyrimidine Analog

The synthetic halogenated pyrimidine analog, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU), is a marker of DNA synthesis. This exogenous nucleoside has generated important insights into the cellular mechanisms of the central nervous system development in a variety of animals including insects, birds, and mammals. Despite this, the detrimental effects of the incorporation of BrdU into DNA on proliferation and viability of different types of cells has been frequently neglected. This review will summarize and present the effects of a pulse of BrdU, at doses ranging from 25 to 300 µg/g, or repeated injections. The latter, following the method of the progressively delayed labeling comprehensive procedure. The prenatal and perinatal development of the cerebellum are studied. These current data have implications for the interpretation of the results obtained by this marker as an index of the generation, migration, and settled pattern of neurons in the developing central nervous system. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the results obtained using BrdU. This is particularly important when high or repeated doses of this agent are injected. I hope that this review sheds light on the effects of this toxic maker. It may be used as a reference for toxicologists and neurobiologists given the broad use of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine to label dividing cells.

Editorial overview: Microtubules in nervous system development

2021 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-230
Author(s):  
Frank Bradke ◽  
Antonina Roll‐Mecak
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development

scholarly journals Neurons interact with the microbiome: an evolutionary-informed perspective

Neuroforum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Giez ◽  
Alexander Klimovich ◽  
Thomas C. G. Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nervous System Development ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
Microbe Interactions ◽  
Host Microbe Interactions ◽  
And Function

Abstract Animals have evolved within the framework of microbes and are constantly exposed to diverse microbiota. Microbes colonize most, if not all, animal epithelia and influence the activity of many organs, including the nervous system. Therefore, any consideration on nervous system development and function in the absence of the recognition of microbes will be incomplete. Here, we review the current knowledge on the nervous systems of Hydra and its role in the host–microbiome communication. We show that recent advances in molecular and imaging methods are allowing a comprehensive understanding of the capacity of such a seemingly simple nervous system in the context of the metaorganism. We propose that the development, function and evolution of neural circuits must be considered in the context of host–microbe interactions and present Hydra as a strategic model system with great basic and translational relevance for neuroscience.

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